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US 2003/0201061 A1Published application
Presentation and bonding of garment side panels
AssigneeKimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
InventorsJason Gene Csida, Lloyd Carl Hietpas, Michael Lee Lohoff, Charles Robert Tomsovic, Brian Robert Vogt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A panel of a material is transported in operative proximity to an air knife having a nozzle and a curved Coanda surface, such that the panel is folded over the curved Coanda surface as the material is transported in a machine direction. The panel can be folded to a variety of angles and can comprise a refastenable fastening component. Air knives are employed in various methods for folding garment side panels and forming prefastened garments, such as refastenable pants.
Claims42
A method of folding a material, comprising:
- transporting a material comprising a panel in a machine direction;
- transporting the panel in operative proximity to an air knife, the air knife comprising a nozzle and a curved Coanda surface;
- and
- expelling air from the nozzle such that the panel is folded over the curved Coanda surface as the material is transported in the machine direction.
1 more element
A method of forming a prefastened pant, comprising:
- transporting a stream of discrete, partially assembled and folded pants in a machine direction, each pant comprising a first waist region with opposed first side panels and a second waist region with opposed second side panels;
- transporting the first side panels in operative proximity to air knives, each air knife comprising a nozzle and a curved Coanda surface;
- expelling air from the nozzles such that the first side panels are folded over the curved Coanda surfaces;
- folding the second side panels into position transversely outward from the first side panels;
- and
- bonding the respective first and second side panels together.
3 more elements
A method of forming a prefastened pant, comprising:
- transporting a stream of discrete, partially assembled and folded pants in a machine direction, each pant comprising a first waist region with opposed first side panels and a second waist region with opposed second side panels, the first side panels comprising first fastening components and the second side panels comprising second fastening components capable of refastenably engaging the first fastening components;
- transporting the first side panels in operative proximity to air knives, each air knife comprising a nozzle and a Coanda surface, the Coanda surface comprising a curved portion and a generally planar portion, the curved portion disposed between the nozzle and the generally planar portion;
- expelling air from the nozzles such that the first side panels are folded over the curved portion with the first fastening components disposed on the generally planar portions;
- moving the second side panels into overlapping orientation with the first side panels with the second fastening components positioned transversely outward from the first fastening components;
- and
- refastenably engaging the first and second fastening components.
3 more elements
An exhausted air knife, comprising:
- a plenum defining an internal chamber, a nozzle operatively connected to the internal chamber, and a Coanda surface adjacent and extending beyond the nozzle, the nozzle defining a nozzle flow direction, the Coanda surface being curved in cross section relative to the nozzle flow direction, the Coanda surface defining a curvature of about 90 degrees or greater from the nozzle to a terminal edge, the Coanda surface comprising first and second curved portions and first and second generally planar portions, the first curved portion disposed between the nozzle and the first generally planar portion and the second curved portion disposed between the first and second generally planar portions;
- and
- a flange positioned in close proximity to the Coanda surface opposite the second generally planar portion and defining therebetween an exhaust passage.
An exhausted air knife, comprising:
- a plenum defining an internal chamber;
- a cap attached to the plenum, the cap comprising a first flange, a second flange and an intermediate member connecting the first and second flanges, the first flange positioned in close proximity to the plenum and defining therebetween a nozzle that is in fluid communication with the internal chamber, the nozzle defining a flow direction, the second flange spaced from the plenum and defining therebetween an exhaust passage, the intermediate member defining at least one aperture in fluid communication with the exhaust passage;
- and
- a Coanda surface adjacent and extending beyond the nozzle, the Coanda surface being curved in cross section relative to the nozzle flow direction, the Coanda surface defining a curvature of about 90 degrees or greater from the nozzle to a terminal edge.
1 more element
An apparatus for folding a pair of garment side panels, comprising:
- a transport system defining a machine direction and a machine center line;
- and
- a pair of air knives located on opposite sides of the machine center line at fixed locations in the machine direction, each air knife comprising a nozzle and a curved Coanda surface, each air knife aligned generally parallel to the machine center line such that a nozzle flow direction is generally perpendicular to the machine direction.
An apparatus for positioning pairs of garment side panels in an overlapping orientation, comprising:
- a transport system defining a machine direction;
- an interior panel positioning mechanism adapted to fold a first pair of side panels about an axis generally parallel to the machine direction, the interior panel positioning mechanism comprising air knives each comprising a nozzle and a curved Coanda surface;
- and
- an exterior panel positioning mechanism adapted to position a second pair of side panels transversely outward from the first pair of side panels.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.